


Very Close Talking

by lightningsmcqueen



Category: That '70s Show
Genre: F/M, a little missing scene after hydes birthday party, episode: s04e24 Hyde's Birthday, if you have seen psych this is the very close talking scene but jackiehyde
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:00:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23639461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightningsmcqueen/pseuds/lightningsmcqueen
Summary: “Steven…” Her breathing is uneven and stutters as she whispers his name, “What are you doing?”“Talking to you.” His response comes out quieter than he intended.“I’ve never talked like this before.”“Well, I call it very-close-talking.”
Relationships: Jackie Burkhart/Steven Hyde
Comments: 7
Kudos: 101





	Very Close Talking

**Author's Note:**

> based on this scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay25uzRGdP0

Hyde’s 18th birthday party has come and passed, and he will never admit it out loud, but he’s incredibly grateful that Red dragged him out of the basement to go to some “surprise” party Kitty was throwing for him. 

After the pinata was destroyed and the cake was eaten, everyone retreated to the Forman’s for pie, and Hyde and his friends went downstairs to have a circle to celebrate - apparently Kelso had gotten really good weed from his modeling manager. As they all gather around the table, Hyde notices Jackie’s missing.

“Hey, where’s Jackie?” He asks as he drags his chair over next to Donna. He only gets several shrugs in response and Donna mentions she might still be at hers. He spends three seconds debating staying or going back over to Donna’s before he gets up and heads to the basement door. 

“Dude!” Kelso yells after him, “Where’re you going? We were just about to… you know…” Eric nods along, desperately, as if Hyde going out the door would throw off his entire evening. 

“Yeah, well, I just need to step out for a second. Gotta, uh, air out my new sweater.” It’s an awful lie, and he knows it as he says it, but before anyone can question him, he says, “Light up without me, I’ll be fast.” 

He half-jogs up the basement stairs and over to Donna’s but stops before entering the house. He doesn’t want to seem like he came looking for her or anything. He walks through the house, turning on lights as he goes - he guesses people forgot Jackie stayed behind in the moment and turned off everything. He finds her in the Pinciotti’s living room, putting decorations into a box on the bar. He stands there for a moment, watching her carefully fold a banner and place it inside. The room is lit by the lamp nearest her, and Hyde feels like turning on more lights in this room would break something - a bubble of time or a seal of this moment. He takes off his sunglasses and steps into the room, making sure to step heavily so she hears him, and she turns and jumps a bit. 

“Steven! You scared me! Don’t do that!” She bites at him with no real malintent behind it.

“I didn’t wanna disturb you, man.” And she gives him an odd look so he elaborates, “Who knew Jackie Burkhart cleaned up parties?”

She throws a streamer she’s holding at him and says, “Ha ha you’re so funny, Steven.”

She turns her attention away from him and back to packing everything up. He catches the streamer as it falls from him before it hits the floor, and takes a step closer to her. He can smell her perfume by standing this close. When she looks at him again, she takes in a quick breath, and her eyes search him, and he knows she’s mentally noting how close he is to her now. If she takes a deep enough breath, her chest would touch him. 

He stares at her, trying to express what he’s thinking without doing anything. She’s staring back, her eyebrows slightly drawn together and her mouth is parted like she wants to ask something but isn’t sure how. Slowly, he moves down and he can feel her eyes tracking him and he’s giving her an out, but she isn’t moving. He stops just before her lips - their noses are touching and he can feel her breath on his lips and vice versa. 

“Steven…” Her breathing is uneven and stutters as she whispers his name, “What are you doing?” 

“Talking to you.” His response comes out quieter than he intended.

She’s staring into his eyes, but now she looks more cautious. He truly doesn’t know what he’s doing. He wasn’t here with a plan because the plan had been to invite Jackie to the circle, not do whatever this is. 

“Mm,” She hums, “I’ve never talked like this before.”

“Well, I call it very-close-talking.” He comes up with it on the spot and she takes a deep breath in as he says it, and he feels like he’s being pulled in with the air. 

Her eyes flutter shut and she just stands there for a while. They each have a hand resting on the bar and they’re dangerously close to touching. He doesn’t close his eyes, he just watches her breathe in and out.

“I’m with Michael.” Is what she finally says, and he doesn’t know if he’s saying it for herself or him. 

“Then it’s a good thing we’re just very-close-talking, isn’t it?” He mumbles to her.

In the softest voice he’s ever heard, she replies, “Yeah.” And he swallows hard twice before she speaks again, “Is there anything else you have to say?” 

He wants to say a lot, but he knows anything he says will just lead to nowhere right now because Jackie isn’t in a good space to hear it all. Instead, he purses his lips ever so slightly and they just barely brush hers and her eyes slowly open at that. 

He gently shakes his head, moving hers with it, and tells her, “No. I’m good.”

And he needs to pull away now, it’s getting dangerous. But once again they’re holding eye contact and she looks sad somewhat and confused and soft, and he can’t move, she has him glued here under her eyes. 

“Happy birthday, Steven.” She murmurs and it’s so quiet even he barely hears it and it hurts him for some reason. He feels it hit him just below the ribs and for a second, it feels like the wind has been knocked out of him.

He whispers out a thank you and her eyes shut again like suddenly this is all too much for her, so he gently backs away and leaves before she can open her eyes. As he leaves the room, he doesn’t turn any lights on, just gives one last look to Jackie standing there with her eyes closed and right hand over her lips. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading! if u wanted to leave kudos or a comment i would fall in love with u!!!! my tumblr is hotrod2007 if u wanted 2 say hi ok mwah thank u!


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